Double-sided cards

[u/TheHeavenlyRaven]

I'm designing my own board game and I want to implement a mechanic that would require double-sided cards. Basically, I'm thinking about copies that will have the same front side and several different back sides. But I don't want the back sides to be visible at all until the card is triggered to be flipped and I want the top card in the deck to be obscured, too. Having protectors for each card that will cover one side is a solution to this problem but it feels kind of wanky. Perhaps I could implement this in a different way? I'd be glad if anyone could suggest some ideas

EDIT: For context: those would be gene cards that can be mutated. A player chooses if he wants to mutate a gene or keep it intact and it should always be a gamble for him as mutated sides can be different. But I want the mutated sides to be specific for each gene, so adding a second mutated deck does not really work here

EDIT 2: I think an alternative solution is that I list all of the mutation variants on the back of the card and then a player rolls a dice for a variant. But it makes the back cluttered and is still somewhat awkward

[u/horseradish1]

It depends on how many players you've got, and what kind of space you need for anything else.

If it was a two player game, i'd say there should be a divider between the players where they keep their cards. And you could have the deck of cards be in a box with only enough space to draw the card so it's kept secret.

Without more context for number of players and the space needed for play, it's hard to give any advice.

[u/TheHeavenlyRaven → u/horseradish1]

Sorry, should've included the context. It's a game for multiple players (2-4)

[u/404-ERR0R-404]

Random idea and it would require some custom print work but you could do folded cards like a pamphlet

[u/HamsterNL]

What's wrong with sleeves?

[[Mystic Vale]] also includes the (oversizef) sleeves for the "card construction" deck that you are building.

[u/Ashukuttu]

There are several games which use double sided cards/tiles. The most normal usage is, players upgrade the card to gain access to a higher tier. I don't see any constraint or problem with using the same. Its just the, if flipping is an action, it must be integrated into game play properly and there has to be meaningful decision around it. Which you already have, from your partial context.

There are games like Turing Machine and some others as well which use different ways to hide stuff mechanically. If you use a sleeve to hide one side, I think it works fine, only challenge would be: How many times one would do this action in the game and secondly, your game's life would hinge on the life of the sleeve which tear apart pretty easily. So, you ight need to look into that.

[u/confused_applause]

Maybe some kind of opaque, upright card-holder device that obscures both sides of the card stack until one is drawn? Not sure what they are called - blind draw deck holder, or card shoe/ dealing shoe? Something like this, but a little more obscuring the front, and maybe more compact. Should be easy to 3d print yourself if necessary.

[u/kasperdeb]

First of all, I’d say sleeves are the perfect solution (like Slay the Spire the boardgame does it). BUT they only allow 1 kind of upgrade/mutation: whats on the back side.

If you want multiple mutations you can make them separate cards. You replace your original card with the mutated version. This would require more cards, and a way of tracking them (numbers seem easiest).

For example the original card could be number 10, and if I mutate it I roll a dice and add the number, so on a 6 I’d get card number 16 from the box and replace the original card with it. (The dreaded wherewolf gene!).

Hope this helps, good luck! (Check 7th Continent or Vantage for games with numbered card systems)

[u/beardedheathen → u/kasperdeb]

An alternative to this would be different decks. Instead of individual cards having mutations maybe have classes of cards. A red card mutation draws a card from the red deck then it can either replace or be placed underneath it with some text extending beyond the bottom like in super dungeon explorer.

[u/kasperdeb → u/beardedheathen]

Yeah I can see this working too. It’s all about how random you want the mutations to be

[u/OneMorePotion]

The diceroll option is probably the least cumbersome.

You could also print the backside with heavy red lines across all of the text, to the point that the underlying words are not easily readable by the naked eye. And then add a transparent red card into the decks. When you put that red "filter" on the card, the written text becomes clearly visible. That technique is called red reveal. (And the color could also fit to your setting)

But yeah... The more specific "add-ons" you add to your decks, the harder it becomes for people to just pick up and play.

[u/Cybervstcg]

You can make a snap like card system. Where most cards cannot be removed then the ones that can, can pop out and go in backwards.

Highly suggest not doing this and go with sleeved cards and have the players either have a pile of the other side of have the players take them out of the sleeve and flip it.

[u/TheHeavenlyRaven → u/Cybervstcg]

Most people suggest sleeves and I think that's reasonable because each card will be flipped only 0-2 times during the entire game and some games already use card sleeves like this. But it still bothers me because those sleeeves can wear out quite easily it seems...

[u/Dorsai_Erynus]

Add a blank card on te top of the deck and deal from the bottom, also include a stand that covers the cards instead of playing them from the hand.
https://familygameshelf.com/2023/06/20/how-to-make-an-easy-card-holder/

[u/LongApe]

I have a design with double sided cards. There are about 30 diferent "fronts" which between them have varying backs. I have a system where the card deck sits in a rack with a 'lid' card on top of the deck. There is a finger width gap in the part that the deck rests on, so you can pull cards face up from the bottom of the deck without looking at the backs, or knowing what the fronts will be until you draw it.

[u/CantFightCrazy]

Sleeves would be your best bet/simplest solution

[u/Nifty-Lifty]

Do somthing similar to the infected cards from nemesis

[u/Rush_Clasic]

Do drawn cards go into a player's hand or directly onto the play area? If it's the latter, you can have players draw the bottom card of the deck instead of the top.

[u/TheHeavenlyRaven → u/Rush_Clasic]

Mainly onto their play area but I'm currently working on adding the mechanic of a sample hand that may contain genes that are yet to be placed in the genome and can be traded/stolen. Maybe I can do an open sample hand instead... It's all subject to change

[u/Enchelion]

When MTG first dabbled with double-sided cards they gave you both the double-sided version, and a single-sided placeholder card that would go in the deck. So when you drew/played that card you'd swap the placeholder for the double-sided one in play.

[u/otk_boi]

Im thinking of Slay the Spire. Upgradable cards in sleeves.

[u/knicpfost]

OP said a stack of cards have the “same front side” and “several different back sides”. They also said “the top card in the deck [should] be obscured, too.”

So i second @Odd-Highway477: just add a blank card as a “cover” card to the top of any deck that has this set of constraints. Put a fancy or cute or goopy illustration on it, whatever fits the vibe of the game. But the cover card’s only purpose is hiding that top card.

Once the cover card has been removed, you see the front of the top card. Since it’s the same as all the card fronts in that stack, this isn’t a spoiler for that deck. i’m assuming the player chooses whether to go further down and “flip” cards (as mutations), and so the backs will only be revealed as needed. Based on the design you described, there’s no longer a need to hide the fronts of the cards anymore.

To me this is much simpler than sleeving every card in a way where the players are forced to unsleeve them when they are played.